


Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

by Peruvian Gypsy (Cat_Moon)



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: Drug Use, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 08:15:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19330645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat_Moon/pseuds/Peruvian%20Gypsy
Summary: An undercover assignment for Sandburg turns into an eye opener, for both he and Jim.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another one from the 1990s. Printed in the fanzine, "Come To Your Senses" #1

Blair Sandburg was having a good day.

Yes, despite the fact that he was once again facing danger, having been shanghaied into going undercover amid the bad guys. Well, this case wasn't quite as volatile as most of the others -- although any situation could suddenly turn sour, as he made sure to point out to Jim at every available opportunity. Jim was starting to get tired of it. Annoying his partner could be fun...as long as he remembered not to push him too far.

Blair grinned, looking around him. A couple of the others returned equally silly grins. The gang of thieves he'd infiltrated here were all young college students, much like Blair himself. Only these students were supplementing their income for tuition by theft. None of them had ever committed serious bodily harm, preferring to break into houses where they knew no one would be home and steal video, computer and stereo equipment. From what Blair had observed since joining them, they would probably run first, if confronted by resistance. He laughed at that image, no one paid him any mind.

So all in all, except for a slight pang of guilt at turning in his fellow students, it wasn't a tough gig. Piece of cake. Which reminded him...

"Hey -- I'm hungry, man. Got anything to eat around here?" Blair asked the room in general.

The ring leader of the gang, Todd, handed him a bottle of beer.

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but..." Shrugging, he took a long swallow. It felt great going down his raw throat, frosty and smooth.

Now where was he? Ah yes, the easy job. He'd gained their trust, and after tomorrow night would know where the stolen merchandise was being stored -- the information Jim wanted. Then the case would be over.

For today, they were just hanging out at Todd's house, indulging in a little...recreational activity and planning the next heist.

And Blair was a very happy camper.

He nudged the guy closest to him. "Hey, pass that joint, man."

 

* * *

 

All things considered, it was probably a good thing that Blair didn't have his own wheels at the moment. But Jim didn't know that, however, and waiting a safe distance away, he was growing increasingly impatient by the time Blair finally jumped into the truck.

"What were you doing so long?" he demanded.

Blair smiled. "Bonding."

Jim snorted and started the engine, pulling out onto the street.

"Hey, Jimmy, can we stop for something to eat?"

"Any place in particular?" Jim asked, grimacing as if dreading the answer. He sniffed the air with a frown.

"Oh, I don't know... Burger King, Mickey D's..."

Jim managed to stop staring at his partner and turn his attention back to the road again -- just barely in time to avoid a crash.

 

* * *

 

Jim let them into the loft, threw his keys in their usual spot and walked over to the couch, not saying a word to Blair. The lecture had lasted nearly the whole trip home. Naturally, it hadn't taken Jim long to figure out the source of the sudden junk food binge. Blair sorely wished he'd thought of that before... The only saving grace was that the trip had been a short one, so he was still flying high enough to ignore any annoyances.

In fact, he was beginning to realize that the pot had hit him hard. Possibly the fact that he hadn't done this in a very long time. And definitely not since he'd moved in with a cop.

He dumped his take-out bags on the coffee table and flopped down on the floor next to Jim's leg. Despite the fact that Jim was mad at him right now, he was feeling happy, and he wanted to be close to his friend.

Who watched him silently for a few minutes, as he wolfed his food down. But that wasn't destined to last for long.

"You didn't have to go along with it, y'know."

"Jim, I hadda gain their trust. Convince 'em I'm one of 'em."

"What, being a thief automatically means you do drugs? You coulda just said you're not into that."

He snickered and said, "yeah, right," under his breath.

"What was that?" Jim asked, although there could be no question he'd heard.

"When in Rome..."

"Your commitment and sacrifice for the job is admirable, Sandburg. Maybe Simon will give you a medal."

"Ah, c'mon Jim, loosen up." He put his hand on Jim's thigh. He sat silent for awhile, contemplating deep thoughts. "Wow--I think I'm starting to understand how it feels to be a Sentinel, Jim. I mean, it's like my sense of taste is heightened. Perception. Touch." His hand unconsciously tightened on the leg.

"I think there might have been some hash mixed in with that pot, it's usually not such an intense experience," Blair muttered matter-of-factly.

"Oh, that's great," Jim responded sarcastically, and tried to remove the hand.

"Hmmm...taste and touch more sensitive. Inhibitions -- definitely lowered," he began cataloging, like a scientist conducting an experiment. "Hey man, I think I know now what it feels like to feel you--" he giggled, "I mean feel like you feel. You know, the senses."

Blair vaguely wondering what Jim was making of his discoveries, but while some of his senses did seem clearer, much of his perception was fuzzy, out of touch just a bit with reality. He mentally shrugged and continued.

"I can feel the heat of your body..." He reached higher. Accidentally? too high...

"Do ya mind?!" Jim nearly squeaked in the anger of embarrassment. "I'm kinda sensitive there..."

Suddenly it was crystal clear. Blair knew exactly what was going on. And it seemed like a good idea. Hell, it seemed like a _great_ idea.

He murmured, almost to himself, "Pot also makes me horny." He wasn't quite sure he's spoken aloud until Jim jumped up to put some space between them.

Blair followed. "This could be a perfect opportunity to do some Sentinel experiments."

"Are you out of your mind?!"

"Hey, what's the big deal, man? I'm turned on so are you." He boldly reached out and touched the growing bulge in Jim's pants. "Why waste it?"

Jim tried to back up another step but ran into the wall. Nowhere to run.

"Relax, man," Blair encouraged, leaning his body full against his friend's.

"Do you know what you're doing, Sandburg?" Jim asked in a voice that shook slightly.

He nodded. It was fascinating to see _Jim_ acting unsure of anything, but despite his comments about experiments, Blair had other, more urgent things on his mind. "Loosen up. Let go of your inhibitions," he whispered in the man's ear.

Then, all at once Jim grabbed his ass and pulled them closer together, lips attacking his neck. Obviously Jim had decided to take Blair's advise -- in a big way.

The delicious ache intensified. It was both part of Blair and distant, as if he was participating and watching at the same time. He was rapidly loosing interest in his brain, but couldn't resist getting in a last bit of teasing.

He stopped Jim with a hand to his chest. "Oh ah, right, I forgot. You have a policy of no sex in the house." Either he was warning Blair against any fooling around, or getting angry if he suspected he had...

"You make me crazy," Jim growled.

"Yeah?" he breathed. "Show me."

He'd seen Jim once before, when passion had taken him over. It was a subject Blair hadn't yet broached, how his Sentinel abilities affected this area of his life. Now, he was about to get a first-hand lesson.

Floating on a cloud of hazy sunshine, Blair was content to let Jim take the lead, while he just soaked up the sensations. The next time he noticed anything outside, he found they were upstairs in Jim's bedroom, and Jim was divesting them both of their clothing. He grinned to himself, not sure how they'd gotten there, but not caring.

His shirt was removed, he felt a wet mouth trail over his chest. "Have you wanted to do this for awhile?" he heard himself ask, marveling that he could still think.

"Forever," he thought he heard Jim whisper. Real or imagined, it caused a delicious shudder to run the length of his body.

Blair felt himself falling, the soft mattress catching him. Moments later, a hard body covered his. Feeling the thick cock come pressing against his own, he arched up into the contact. It was wild. Incredible. Better than he'd ever imagined it would be.

_I imagined this??_

Blair hooked one ankle over Jim's for a better hold, letting Jim set a pace as they rubbed together. He closed his eyes and rode the waves, listening to Jim's panting breath in his ear. A time later -- could've been hours, but he suspected it was much, much less, he felt the twin explosions through his whole being.

Disgustingly sated and content, he wrapped both arms around Jim's neck and smiled. "That was great, man. Thanks." His eyes were still closed, making the steps to drifting off one less.

 

* * *

 

Blair woke slowly. He blinked, looking around a moment in confusion, as if not expecting to find himself in his own room. _Where else would I be?_ Hazy images of _why_ he was disoriented finally made it past his grogginess.

_Jim_?! He sat up abruptly. He was dressed in boxers and tank top, his usual sleep-wear. Taking stock he found absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. "Naw, no way," he muttered to himself, making sure it was barely a breath so as not to be overheard. Sometimes, you just had to talk aloud to yourself. It was one of the down sides to living with a Sentinel.

Shaking his head to clear it, he decided the images in his mind were just a dream... or a drug-induced hallucination. There was no way, Jim would ever...

Chuckling to himself at the absurdity, he got out of bed and went into the other room. Jim was in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"Good morning," Jim said, same as he did every morning. "Sleep well?"

Blair shook his head again, an unconscious reflex rather than an answer. "Y'know, I think there was some LSD mixed with that pot, man." His imagination had never dared be _that_ vivid on its own.

Jim frowned in stern disapproval as he dishes eggs into two plates. "I hope you're happy now."

Almost surprised to find himself in a bad mood and unwilling to accept that it was due to realizing last night was just a hallucination, Blair snapped back. "As a matter of fact, if I'd gotten as crocked as I was last night on booze, I'd be feeling like I wanted to die right now. So yes I am thank you."

"You don't sound it." Jim was watching him very carefully. Blair figured he was probably trying to judge if the drug had completely worn off or not.

He decided a little fishing was in order. "It's just that...I don't remember ever having--I mean, I don't recall hearing that memory loss is a side effect of pot."

"Wasn't in any of the text books, huh?" Jim smirked. "So you say you don't remember anything of last night?"

Last Night was already taking on mythic proportions. Blair could even hear the capitalization. "Uh, well, I don't think so, no." He watched Jim for a trace of...anything...but all he encountered was the man's usual stoic features, giving nothing away.

"You pigged out on junk food, then went into your room to listen to some music, you said. After that, I don't know, I went to bed myself."

"Ugh, no wonder I'm sluggish and my stomach feels like I ate a whole cow." Blair pushed away the plate in front of him. "Juice fast for me today, gotta flush out my system."

"Whatever," Jim shrugged, rising to put his own now-empty plate in the sink. "I gotta get to work, don't forget your "appointment" this afternoon." He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "Do the dishes, will ya, Chief?" Then he was gone.

Nothing unusual there.

The sense of loss Blair felt was a surprise. Almost.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the case went off without a hitch. Blair didn't see Jim until much later that night, but he knew the detective was nearby, keeping an eye on him and the operation. They allowed the gang to pull off another, closely watched heist. When they took the goods to their fence, police units were standing by to apprehend everyone involved. They came home and both fell into bed immediately, exhausted.

The following night found them both at home, Blair working on a paper and Jim watching basketball.

Blair looked up at Jim from his seat at the kitchen table. He'd purposely chosen to work there instead on in his room, so he could watch Jim. The man had practically avoided him the whole day, and he was beginning to wonder if Jim was still mad over the pot. He was loathe to actually bring up the subject himself though.

Looking up in time to meet his gaze, Jim picked up the remote and turned off the TV. _Uh oh. Not a good sign.._

Jim sighed. "Okay, what is it?"

"Huh?"

"You've been watching me like something under a microscope all night. Anything on your mind?"

"Well...now that you mention it... I was wondering if there was anything on _your_ mind."

Jim rubbed his hand over his forehead. "Yeah," he admitted, drawing out the word reluctantly. "We gotta talk, Chief."

Bowing to the inevitable, Blair shut down the computer and joined Jim in the other room, sinking down in the chair opposite the couch.

Jim's next words came as no big surprise. "I hope this stuff with the pot was a one-time deal."

"Yes, Jim."

"So this is nothing I have to worry about then?"

"No, Jim," he answered, beginning to feel like a teen being lectured by the parent who'd found a joint in his room. Although Blair had never had that particular experience. Not in _his_ house. "I honestly believed it would be better to go along with them than to risk alienating them -- that's the only reason I did it. I won't lie to you, it wasn't the first time. But it's been years, man. I'm not into that stuff. As for the past -- who _hasn't_ tried it, huh?" He latched onto an idea. "What about you, Jim? You couldn't have been _that_ straight back in high school...?" Hmm...maybe a poor choice of adjective.

Jim scowled. "We're talking about you here, not me."

"Ack!" Blair made a pulling-out-hair motion at the remark. _This is my karma, right? For enjoying such an open family life, and having a terrific mom. So now I gotta deal with_ this _._

Jim went on, oblivious. "The consequences of messing with drugs can be...unpleasant to tragic."

"Uh hum," Blair murmured, bored.

"For instance, there's something..." Jim got up and began to pace the room. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I need to get something off my chest."

Blair perked up, wondering what was coming next.

"Something happened the other night, something that I should've discussed with you."

A strange feeling in the pit of Blair's stomach told him where they were headed. "Why didn't you?" he asked. Did he hear a touch of reproach in his own voice?

"Because you didn't remember," Jim said in a low voice. "I thought it might be best that way."

Blair could now see the tortured soul who'd been grappling with this -- alone -- ever since. Any anger evaporated. It was _his_ fault, after all. "And now?"

"What exactly do you remember about that night?" Jim asked, approaching the situation the long route around.

Blair smiled slightly, trying to put his friend at ease, at least a little. "We came home and I started pigging out on the food. Then I put my hand on your knee, and I was going on about heightened senses. After awhile I realized we were both turned on, so I, well..."

Jim had been looking out the window, now he was staring at Blair. "You remembered?!" he asked ominously. Blair nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.

"Because I thought it wasn't _real_. Yeah, I remembered it all, but I thought, no way, has to be a hallucination or something."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I figured there's no way _you'd_...you know."

Jim gaped for a moment, then seemed to recover. "Well, you're right -- I shouldn't have. You had an excuse, you were high and didn't know what you were doing. Me... I took advantage of a friend. Jesus -- if it was a woman and there was booze involved I coulda been brought up on rape charges."

Blair blinked in utter disbelief, imaging he could feel his head spin around. " _What_?"

"I want you to know that I feel terrible about this. I hope you'll forgive me, but if you don't, I'll understand." Jim wasn't looking at him, a clear sign of how distressed he was.

"I seduced _you_ , you idiot!" Blair blurted.

Jim's eyes flew up to meet his. "Look, you don't have to take the blame. It's not right--"

Blair decided he'd had enough. "I'm getting tired of you treating me like I'm a little kid and you're my father!"

He could almost see Jim's thoughts change track with his words. He might be feeling guilty, but he knew Blair well enough to realize he had his own mind.

"Is that why you did it? To get back at me for treating you like a kid?" Jim asked.

Blair gaped at him, horrified he would think such a thing. "No!"

"Then why did you?" It was a quiet question, without rancor, only a touch of desperation.

A profound silence descended upon the room. The two men looked at each other, Jim waiting, Blair biting his lip, wondering how much he was willing to say. Looking back on that night, Blair hadn't been too stoned to remember how quickly, how _completely_ Jim had responded to him. It wasn't really much of a seduction. It was almost as if Jim had been waiting for it.

But Jim was obviously hurting now, hardly trying to hide it. This wasn't a casual lay for him. The realization was staggering.

"I'm sorry," Blair finally said. Jim turned away again, towards the window. "No, I'm not!" he amended. Jim turned back. After a few moments, Blair found his voice again, stood up tall, his head held high. "I wanted you," he told Jim, keeping eye contact. "More than I've ever wanted another person in my life."

"Because of the drugs," Jim returned, ambiguously, it could be a question or statement -- or both.

Blair shook his head. "Because of you."

After a moment the ghost of a smile touched Jim's lips.

"There's only one thing I _am_ sorry about," Blair continued, sensing Jim was going to need a bit more prodding.

"What's that?" he asked, but there was no longer any uncertainty in his expression.

"That I was spaced out during the whole thing."

"Oh. Well, we can, uh, probably fix that."

Blair felt a wide grin breaking out. He approached Jim, into the circle of arms he presented. "Sounds like a plan." The feel of Jim's hands rubbing against his back felt so good he sighed.

"I uh...have another confession to make." Jim waited for Blair's raised eyebrows to continue. "The last time, I was kinda...quick on the trigger," he admitted in embarrassment.

It made sense to Blair. Just another aspect of dealing with heightened senses. "We can work on that," he promised, and took Jim's hand, leading him upstairs.

 

 

 


	2. Almost totally unrelated epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost totally unrelated epilogue:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I couldn't resist...

Blair sat on the couch with Jim, morosely watching the ten o'clock news. He knew he was being unreasonable, possibly spoiled... but they'd only been together for a few days now, and he didn't relish having to sleep in his own room tonight.

However, Simon had needed a place to stay for the night, his apartment had flooded due to a broken water pipe. Blair didn't begrudge him, Simon was their friend and friends help friends out. He was just...frustrated.

Simon yawned and rose from the chair he'd been sitting in. He'd offered to sleep on the couch, but Jim had insisted that his problematic back would be better served on a real bed and had offered his own. "Well, I think I'm gonna turn in now." He started for the stairs.

"Goodnight Simon," Jim called.

"Yeah, goodnight," Blair echoed. Jim nudged his leg with a foot, and gave him a knowing smile. Blair wondered whether or not he'd be able to convince Jim to sneak into his room after Simon was asleep, for a quickie. For medicinal purposes, mind you. He _knew_ he wasn't going to get much sleep this night.

Only a few moments after he'd gone upstairs, they looked up to see the captain descending again.

"Forget something, Simon?" Jim inquired.

"No, but I think maybe you did." He held up something that looked suspiciously familiar to them both... "Looks like one of your lady 'friends' left her earring in your bed," he told Jim with a sly grin.

They both froze for an instant.

Then Jim's gaze involuntarily turned to Blair. As if in a slow motion fog, Blair's hand went reflexively up to his ear....

 

the end.

 

12/27/96

 


End file.
